1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to the field of computer processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Often simulated environments, such as those featured in video game systems, include audio or sound effects to make the simulated environment seem more realistic. For example, if an explosion occurs within an environment simulated by a video game system, the video game system may add more realism to the environment by simulating the sound of an explosion.
One technique of simulating sounds within a three-dimensional scene may be to calculate the resulting sound at the location of the listener due to the propagation of sound waves throughout the three-dimensional scene. A sound wave is a longitudinal wave produced by variations in a medium (e.g., air) which is detected by the human ear. A game system may calculate the effects of all objects on all sound waves (e.g., collisions, constructive/destructive interference, etc.) as they travel through three-dimensions. Furthermore, the sound engine may calculate the resulting sound due to a number of sound waves which reach the listener location. However, calculating the propagation of sound waves throughout the three-dimensional scene interference may result in a large number of complex calculations (e.g., differential equations) which a game system may be unable to perform in a time frame necessary to provide real time sound effects.
Therefore, there exists a need for efficient and accurate techniques and devices to provide real time sound effects in a simulated environment.